Hugely profitable companies pay more to CEOs than to Uncle Sam
Now isn’t this special?
According to the Institute of Policy Studies, a liberal think tank, 25 of the country’s 100 highest-paid CEOs were paid more personally than their corporations paid in federal income taxes last year. (The corporations in question made, on average, a profit of $1.9 billion each.)
If you believe many conservatives, that’s pretty amazing. After all, corporate taxes in America are allegedly sky high, so the fact that so many profitable companies somehow managed to pay their CEOs even more than they paid Uncle Sam — well, that’s really saying something.
“In 2009, we calculate, major corporate CEOs took home 263 times the pay of America’s average workers. Last year, this gap leaped to 325-to-1. Among the nation’s top firms, the S&P 500, CEO pay last year averaged $10,762,304, up 27.8 percent over 2009.”
Average CEO pay among the S&P 500 up 28 percent in a year. Tough times. And again, that’s not the high-performers, the CEOs who did something special. The average CEO got a 28 percent pay hike last year.
And how did those companies end up paying so little in taxes? The IJS helps explain:
“No tax-dodging strategy over recent years has filled U.S. corporate coffers more rapidly than the offshoring of corporate activity to tax havens in low- or no-tax jurisdictions. Eighteen of the 25 firms highlighted in this study operate subsidiaries in offshore tax haven jurisdictions. The firms, all combined, had 556 tax haven subsidiaries last year….
How do tax havens work? One common corporate accounting technique, “transfer pricing,” helps corporations shift profits offshore. Technology and drug companies regularly open shell companies — in tax havens — that hold their intellectual property rights. They then charge their U.S.-based operations inflated amounts for the use of these rights. These inflated costs get deducted off U.S. taxes. The overseas tax haven profits go un- or lightly taxed. Adding insult to injury, a coalition of corporate tax dodgers is now asking Congress to reward their tax avoidance with a deeply discounted 5 percent tax rate if they bring these funds back home where many of them started.”
These are American companies — corporations that are based here in the United States because they know that locating here maximizes their profits. They want all of the advantages of being American, meanwhile pretending that a lot of their operations are located on some little Caribbean island.
Personally, I think I’m going to open an offshore branch of Jay Bookman and have my paycheck sent there. I mean, why not? I’m a person, corporations are persons. If they can do it, I can do it too, right?
Well, there is one difference. As the IJS notes,”the 25 firms highlighted in this study spent a combined total of more than $150 million on lobbying and campaign contributions last year.” In contrast, I didn’t spend a dime.
In fact, 20 of the companies in question spent more money “lobbying lawmakers than they paid in corporate taxes. Eighteen gave more to the political campaigns of their favorite candidates than they paid to the IRS in taxes.”
You get what you pay for.
– Jay Bookman
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982 comments Add your comment
Joe Mama
August 31st, 2011
10:37 am
If people who don’t pay income taxes ‘don’t have any skin in the game’ and need to have their taxes increased, then why isn’t that also true for for corporations who don’t pay any taxes?
Don’t they also not have any ’skin in the game?’ And shouldn’t their taxes be raised? After all, we’re all in this together, right?
Bosch
August 31st, 2011
10:37 am
And Doom,
Don’t you honestly think that it’s just those oh so powerful poor voters that use the ballot box for their goodies?
Seriously, don’t you think these things through?
Good Little Liberal
August 31st, 2011
10:38 am
Adam
You haven’t answred it to me, but nice tap dance. I’ve said many times that I own my own business, but I took the time to explain to you, but I guess that’s just the difference in the two of us.
Paul
August 31st, 2011
10:38 am
Common Sense
““did anyone seriously refute anything Jay wrote?”
Why must it be refuted? These are private sector companies that have no obligation to justify anything to Jay Bookman.”
You honestly don’t see how their lobbying and political contributions to buy tax law changes that shift more of the tax burden to the less affluent in a time of economic hardship is not an issue?
And you can tag Brosephus’s 10:12 onto that.
Brosephus
“Did you expect anything beyond the usual divert and deflect defense?”
It’s their version of “I got nuthin’.”
getalife
“They are not cons anymore. They are wealthers fighting for the wealth care party. The wealthy can get all the money in this country and the wealthers will still blindly fight for them. Leaving their kids with no chance of making a livable wage. You can’t fix this kind of ignorance. You just have to laugh.”
Reminds me of chess – which was designed after real life medieval circumstances.
The wealthy nobility fought to preserve their wealth and privileges and to keep it away from the people who worked their estates. Just like in the game of chess, when a threat appeared they put the serfs (the ‘pawns’) in the front line to bear the brunt of the violence while they waited to do cleanup.
Cons. Modern day serfs defending their betters. And proud of it.
And Bosch plays the cultural hegemonist card and the audience chokes and says ‘wait…. cultural what?….”
Thulsa Doom
“The reason is because when half the country does not pay taxes what is to stop them from using the ballot box to vote themselves goodies paid for by the other half of the country?”
Are you really asserting this occurred because the low to middle class lobbied Congress to do it or got ballot initiatives to do it? Not because it was the result of credits and rate reductions put thru by the Bush Administration and their Republican (and Democratic) supporters in Congress back when they actually tried to practices the historical principles of conservatism?
“Just echoing the sentiment that everyone should have skin in the game.”
I’ve written for years it might be a good idea to have everyone, no matter if they pay no taxes or get dollars from credits, to send in a dollar just to make the point they’re part of this country and should give a little back.
How much of a tax increase for the poor do you advocate?
USinUK
August 31st, 2011
10:38 am
“Are you really going to sit there with a straight face and tell me that this voting block has THAT much power?”
yes. don’t you know the bottom 50% has more than 80% of the income???
oh. wait. no they don’t.
Zap Rowsdower
August 31st, 2011
10:39 am
Rat voter mantra: Make things about race, wealth envy and global scamming. In that order.
Bookman apparently can’t stand it that CEO’s, people who actually run a private business, make more money that he does. I wonder what he’d say about the Cox family?
getalife
August 31st, 2011
10:39 am
The best way to save money is layoff corrupt congress until after the election.
The wealth care party will vote no on jobs so they do not need to come back.
A new congress will work the President.
Bosch
August 31st, 2011
10:40 am
So Doom, did Tocqueville in his social analysis talk any about the upper two percent of people in a society that owns most of the money using their voting power and political influence to their advantage?
Because to me, that’s more of a problem.
Granny Godzilla
August 31st, 2011
10:40 am
GLL
Thanks again for your thoughts, my 2 part time jobs are
both small businesses that do, to some extent, utilize the net (a task made more difficult by our workings in China).
stands for decibels
August 31st, 2011
10:40 am
Stay on him
Funny, I was just pondering that somewhat oxidized, powder-burnt “WWSCD” bracelet on my wrist before spying this post. (Alas, I have lost my “WWHDD” bracelet; I miss it somethin’ fierce.)
USinUK
August 31st, 2011
10:40 am
“And Bosch plays the cultural hegemonist card and the audience chokes and says ‘wait…. cultural what?….””
luv ya, Paul!!!
Thulsa Doom
August 31st, 2011
10:40 am
“A top lawmaker in the Congressional Black Caucus says tea partiers on Capitol Hill would like to see African-Americans hanging from trees and accuses the movement of wishing for a return to the Jim Crow era”
When you can’t win the policy debate resort to hyperbole and empty rhetoric. This woman would make USinUK proud.
Zap Rowsdower
August 31st, 2011
10:40 am
Things Bookman ignores: Obama’s falling poll numbers, Europe falling apart, China building up a massive military and the nations AA rating.
2012 will be a monumental fail on Bookman’s part.
Willie
August 31st, 2011
10:40 am
Huffpo headline redux. Liberal hothouse. Yawn.
We have a lot of complaining from the whitehouse but ZERO proposal. He did submit a budget that did not get a single vote in the senate. Might it be time for Obama to take the risk of actually leading instead of just complaining.
BTW, next time you feel like attacking your commenters as racist, you might check out Andre Carson, member of the Congressional black Caucus who says that the Tea Party wants to see African Americans hanging from trees. Might we hear something about unhelpful, race baiting rhetoric? Might we hear you condemn inappropriate, wildly unfactualy rhetoric? Might we hear about the whacked out leftie crazies again? Might we hear about over the top, divisive partisan language?
Zap Rowsdower
August 31st, 2011
10:41 am
“A new congress will work the President.”
How does congress work the president?
USinUK
August 31st, 2011
10:41 am
dB – I put on my WWWGD this morning
(what would wayne gretzgy do)
stands for decibels
August 31st, 2011
10:42 am
Bookman apparently can’t stand
another mind reader. Boy, we sure are lucky to have them aren’t we?
getalife
August 31st, 2011
10:42 am
zap,
Not like your wealth care party.
Next.
USinUK
August 31st, 2011
10:42 am
“When you can’t win the policy debate resort to hyperbole and empty rhetoric.”
so says mr. “these people have no skin in the game”
irony is well and truly dead.
Good Little Liberal
August 31st, 2011
10:42 am
Aquagirl
It’s several physical products. I’m just a retailer. I pay my taxes and do everything legally. it’s not anything like porn. It’s just a nice little business that helps me pay the bills. Why would you have a problem with that.
Maybe you should give it a shot. You don’t need to make trips to the Hamptons to make the connections to start a little business on the internet. I might take away some of that hate that you always project.
Thomas
August 31st, 2011
10:43 am
Are you really asserting this occurred because the low to middle class lobbied Congress to do it or got ballot initiatives to do it? Not because it was the result of credits and rate reductions put thru by the Bush Administration and their Republican (and Democratic) supporters in Congress back when they actually tried to practices the historical principles of conservatism?
Done for political reasons. Folks tend to like and vote for other folks who don’t make them pay. Folks who do things illegally tend to like and vote for other folks who say what they did wasn’t illegal. Rich folks tend to like and vote for those folks who say- now, now, you don’t have to pay that much.
Shall we continue or shall we all grow up and learn that both sides are ridiculous.
Doggone/GA
August 31st, 2011
10:43 am
“let’s return to the days when only the landed gentry could vote!!”
And let THEM use “the ballot box to vote themselves goodies” paid for those who can’t vote
Zap Rowsdower
August 31st, 2011
10:43 am
“Not like your wealth care party.”
And again, getalife makes absolutely zero sense.
Thulsa Doom
August 31st, 2011
10:43 am
USinUK,
I still see you are having reading comprehension problems. I’m not talking about taking away someone’s vote. Just saying they should at least have skin in the game as in paying some taxes, even if its just a little bit. For some reason this simple concept continually evades you. No surprise there.
Left wing management
August 31st, 2011
10:44 am
GLL: “I couldn’t agree more. But the part that you left out is that capitalism allows anyone with the brains and the motivation to become rich. It’s sort of economical Darwinism / I’m not wealthy so I’m not at the top of the food chain, but I sure don’t hate the people that have made it.”
I’m opposed to Darwinism as overarching moral principle of social organization.
By the way, just an offhand thought, I’m struck by the fact that the rise of social Darwinism as a general outlook and life philosophy in this country in this time seems to be curiously homologous both to the resurgence of religious fundamentalism, and religiosity in general, in this country and to the popularity of the philosophy of Ayn Rand. It’s very curious. It would be interesting if some sociologist could do a study of social attitudes and determine if there is a correlation between a culture’s rate of religiosity – e.g. in the American South – and their tendency to subscribe to Social Darwinist beliefs such as Randian philosophy and free market idealism in economics. I have a hunch there’s a correlation there that’s not entirely accidental. Which is extremely strange when you think about it.
Bosch
August 31st, 2011
10:44 am
“When you can’t win the policy debate resort to hyperbole and empty rhetoric.”
Or better yet, bring up the musings of a random philospher that’s been dead 150 years?
Zap Rowsdower
August 31st, 2011
10:44 am
“(what would wayne gretzgy do)”
Well for one, he can spell his own name correctly.
Brosephus
August 31st, 2011
10:44 am
With nearly half of us not paying federal income taxes, with one in 6 Americans on food stamps and with a good % of Americans drawing some type of benefit from the govt is there any doubt as to what is happening?
The only part of that group that’s even capable of mounting any lobbying attempt to maintain the status quo are those with high incomes that are able to zero out their tax liability. Just from personal observation, I don’t think the “food stamp” crowd has a central lobby that’s capable of electing officials that are at their service in the same manner as others with well-funded and well-developed lobbies.
stevie ray
The difference betwee Blacks and other minorities, First Americans excluded, is that there was no immigrant community to support and nurture the group upon their first arrival on these shores. Every immigrant group that has come to America has pretty much followed the same pattern.
First, there’s the self-investment in the community. Helping each other to gain a foothold in this country is the first thing you have to do to survive. Then, the first generation native to this country starts on the education and assimilation process. Once those two things are done, then the community as a whole is more capable of competing in this society.
Because of the nature of the immigration process, both the Blacks and First Americans lack the ability to follow that pattern. If I knew what the answer was, I’d be the first one teaching it to as many as I could.
Bosch
August 31st, 2011
10:45 am
“And let THEM use “the ballot box to vote themselves goodies” paid for those who can’t vote”
Which is apparently a point that is whizzing past Doom as we type.
USinUK
August 31st, 2011
10:46 am
Doggone – 10:43 – haven’t you heard???
they’re the PROVIDERS!!! only through them do we have anything!!!
or, to abuse the name of a comedy tour from the 1990s, “without them, we’re nothing”
Left wing management
August 31st, 2011
10:46 am
Willie: “BTW, next time you feel like attacking your commenters as racist, you might check out Andre Carson, member of the Congressional black Caucus who says that the Tea Party wants to see African Americans hanging from trees. Might we hear something about unhelpful, race baiting rhetoric”
Sounds like the charge got under your skin a bit though, no?
Zap Rowsdower
August 31st, 2011
10:46 am
“The difference betwee Blacks and other minorities”
The difference being other minorities actually work for a living.
Mighty Righty
August 31st, 2011
10:46 am
Everyone except those who are self employed, went through the hiring process at their job. For some, it was an interview wth the boss, for others an interview with HR, and still others talked to a department head. The employer, decided you had the skill and experience they desired and offered you a job starting at a certain amount of pay based on market value with or without benefits. You weighed the offer and made a decision to take the job or to reject it. CEO’s do exactly the same thing except they are interviewed by the Board of Directors and based on job their skills, experience and market forces make an offer plus an opportunity to earn a bonus. If that CEO makes several million in bonus because the company under his direction had good earnings and the value of the company shares increased by 50% or 100% then the board, the sharholders and the CEO got what they paid for. If the best you can earn is $50.per hour and the CEO of you company is earning 5 million a year, it isn’t his fault. It is your fault. He has education, skill, experience and drie that you don’t have. He get’s paid what he is worth and you get paid what you are worth. Just like president Obama. Obama went to three different colleges has two degrees, was elected to the Illinois legislature, then the U.S Senate, then President. He makes a lot of money. That doesn’t mean he should share it with you. It doesn’t make him evil no matter what the multiple of his salary is when compared with welefare recipients, now does it?
getalife
August 31st, 2011
10:46 am
zap,
Look at your wealth care party’s actions since they got crushed by the President.
They refused to with him except to bail out the banks or more wealth care welfare.
Fact.
Debate that zap.
Bosch
August 31st, 2011
10:46 am
Yeah Brosephus,
That food stamp lobby is something else huh?
Paul
August 31st, 2011
10:46 am
Thomas!! HI!!!!!! Don’t Go!!!
Got that information on hospitals that treat people for free for any condition, don’t ever bill them for it and make it unnecessary for anyone to buy health insurance because free care is available if you just know where to look?
It’s the last time I’ll ask. I promise.
USinUK
August 31st, 2011
10:47 am
Zap – I know! I know! Gretzky … Gretski … Gregsky … Greysky …
getalife
August 31st, 2011
10:47 am
work.
Oops.
Zap Rowsdower
August 31st, 2011
10:47 am
“Sounds like the charge got under your skin a bit though, no?”
Seems like all rat voters do is play the race card when they know full well Obozo is gonna lose. It’s been the rat voter mantra for decades. Just ask Cynthia Tucker.
Thulsa Doom
August 31st, 2011
10:47 am
Bosch,
By themselves the welfare crowd is not a significant voting bloc. But add up all the special interest and single issue voters that the Dem party panders to- you know, people who want a special privilege or right or economic benefit conferred upon them, and you have quite a significant voting bloc. Certainly enough to win elections and put sorely unqualified guys with zero executive experience in the oval office as we have seen.
Paul
August 31st, 2011
10:48 am
Doggone/GA
““let’s return to the days when only the landed gentry could vote!!””
Was that from a conservative Republican who never read the Constitution?
Zap Rowsdower
August 31st, 2011
10:48 am
“Look at your wealth care party’s actions since they got crushed by the President.”
Guess you slept through the democRAT meltdown of 2010.
Brosephus
August 31st, 2011
10:48 am
Funny, I was just pondering that somewhat oxidized, powder-burnt “WWSCD” bracelet on my wrist before spying this post. (Alas, I have lost my “WWHDD” bracelet; I miss it somethin’ fierce.)
Word of advice, I’d melt any WWABMD bracelets owned. Just for safety and liability issues.
Good Little Liberal
August 31st, 2011
10:48 am
Left wing management
People who strive and are smart enough to make a living is nothing new. The fact that you sem to point that those people are religous should tell you something.
the really interesting question is : Are you touting the inverse? Are people who are not religous just too dumb to make an honest living?
Zap Rowsdower
August 31st, 2011
10:48 am
“Zap – I know! I know! Gretzky … Gretski … Gregsky … Greysky …”
Wayne doesn’t like it when you misspell his name.
USinUK
August 31st, 2011
10:49 am
“If that CEO makes several million in bonus because the company under his direction had good earnings and the value of the company shares increased by 50% or 100% then the board, the sharholders and the CEO got what they paid for. If the best you can earn is $50.per hour and the CEO of you company is earning 5 million a year, it isn’t his fault.”
IT IS his fault when he heads up the BOARD and the BOARD determines his salary!
IT IS his fault when he sacrifices %%% of his workforce to hit his numbers and get his bonus
IT IS his fault when he makes the company UNSUCCESSFUL due to bad decisions, then gets a multi-BILLION $$$ payoff
Brosephus
August 31st, 2011
10:49 am
Bosch
WIC and EBT cards flying everywhere!!!
Bosch
August 31st, 2011
10:50 am
Doom,
Nice dodge.
“But add up all the special interest and single issue voters that the Dem party panders to- you know, people who want a special privilege or right or economic benefit conferred upon them, and you have quite a significant voting bloc.”
ARE YOU HONESTLY GOING TO SAY THAT THE GOP/CONSERVATIVES DON’T DO THIS TOO???????? THEY DON’T HAVE THEIR OWN? AND I’LL WRITE THIS IN CAPS SO YOU CAN’T DODGE THAT QUESTION ANYMORE…….
Zap Rowsdower
August 31st, 2011
10:50 am
“IT IS his fault when he makes the company UNSUCCESSFUL due to bad decisions, then gets a multi-BILLION $$$ payoff”
Hard to argue with that but the problem with that statement is CEO’s not making money off of taxpayer dollars. If they were, I’d agree with you 100%.
Aquagirl
August 31st, 2011
10:50 am
It’s several physical products. I’m just a retailer. I pay my taxes and do everything legally.
Where did I say you did anything illegal? I simply pointed out you are taking advantage of a government subsidy to make money.
Why would you have a problem with that.
I don’t. Do you have a problem acknowledging your income depends on other people subsidizing your delivery system?
getalife
August 31st, 2011
10:50 am
“By themselves the welfare crowd is not a significant voting bloc.”
wealthers are a significant voting bloc for the wealth care party.
They will not stop fighting for the wealthy until the wealthy have all the money.
Then, the more brainwashed by fox will still fight for wealth care.
Sad but true.
USinUK
August 31st, 2011
10:51 am
“But add up all the special interest and single issue voters that the GOP panders to- you know, people who want a special privilege or right or economic benefit conferred upon them, and you have quite a significant voting bloc. Certainly enough to win elections and put sorely unqualified guys with zero executive experience in the oval office as we have seen.”
there.
fixed yonder typo
Bosch
August 31st, 2011
10:51 am
And Doom,
Are you saying that simply being a citizen in this country does not equate to having “skin in the game?”
Whatever the hell THAT means…
Zap Rowsdower
August 31st, 2011
10:51 am
“ARE YOU HONESTLY GOING TO SAY THAT THE GOP/CONSERVATIVES DON’T DO THIS TOO?”
Guess Bosch ain’t never heard of GE and Obama.
stevie ray
August 31st, 2011
10:52 am
Butch, of course I don’t have an all encompassing answer but some thoughts pop to mind including: (1) requiring banks to commence loaning money to individuals and businesses in relationship to the taxpayer funds received; (2) place moratorium on all new regulatory laws enacted in past decade or so for a stated period of time while working hard to actually enforce prior; (3) outside audit of federal inflows and outflows…the fact that the first entity in the universe to have to account for “trillions” of dollars is our government who I think we all agree is not a model of fiscal or adminstrative efficiency. I’m scared that the data we are all using is significantly flawed, particularly the expenditures and mostly, any 10 year projections by the CBO. (4) get the heck out of Iraq, South Korea, Libya, Germany, Afghanistan (and any other “stan”) and bring the troops home or otherwise prove to taxpayers that we are actually individually benefitting from the trillions invested. We need to take a break and allow others to police the world while we clean up our own back yard: (5) Stop putting so many people in prison…we spend 2.5 times annually incarcerating low risk inmates than we do on public education per child; (6) invest in technical schools and figure out a means to tie some entitlements for otherwise employable recipients to seek such skills; (7) outsource congress to india to improve cost and efficacy; (8) term limits for all elected officials to remove incentive to bow to lobbyists and ensure loyalty to those who elected them….
Just my opinion…I could be wrong.
Left wing management
August 31st, 2011
10:52 am
Zap Rowsdower, 10:47, looks like it gets under your skin, too.
out of the blue
August 31st, 2011
10:52 am
Zap Rowsdower
August 31st, 2011
10:41 am
“How does congress work the president?”
You cannot possibly be that simple minded to ask that nonsense!
If need be, I’ll help you out. But, for now ZAP you’re on your own…….
Zap Rowsdower
August 31st, 2011
10:52 am
“They will not stop fighting for the wealthy until the wealthy have all the money.”
Yep, that’s what happens when you actually work hard in life. Guess getalife wants everything for free.
USinUK
August 31st, 2011
10:53 am
“Hard to argue with that but the problem with that statement is CEO’s not making money off of taxpayer dollars. If they were, I’d agree with you 100%.”
okay, I’ll bite.
considering the 401Ks (and other retirement / investment plans) that are invested in these companies, how can you NOT agree???
Bosch
August 31st, 2011
10:53 am
Zap,
Yes, I have, but fail to see what that random posting has to do with the topic, or the price of tea in China.
And while your at it, would you mind explaining to us the poutrage the right seems to have with GE and Imelt?
kayaker 71
August 31st, 2011
10:53 am
USinUK,
No mention of Franklin Raines, who cooked the books at Fannie Mae and walked with 190M. Was he an evil CEO? This idiot should be in jail but very little mention of his theft of government money. Ever wonder why?
Paul
August 31st, 2011
10:54 am
left wing management 10:44
Religious fundamentalists:
Darwin as applied to living things = bad, evil, satan inspired.
Darwin as applied to society and making a living = eternal truth, good, following God’s plan.
That’s a most astute observation. Mind-boggling, really. Congratulations!
Common Sense
August 31st, 2011
10:54 am
“You honestly don’t see how their lobbying and political contributions to buy tax law changes that shift more of the tax burden to the less affluent in a time of economic hardship is not an issue?”
The less affluent are not paying any federal income taxes.
The answer to the lobbying issue is simple. Eliminate corporate income taxes and let the recipients of that income pay all the taxes. But wealth envy prohibits the idea that we do not stick our hands into the pockets of corporations, and not because it is the right thing to do. It’s because we can.
getalife
August 31st, 2011
10:54 am
zap,
When your beloved have all the money, your kids have no chance of making a livable wage.
We are close to that point now.
Then the riots break out.
Good Little Liberal
August 31st, 2011
10:54 am
USinUK
I had employees when I lived in Atlanta. I had to let them go when I moved. To be honest, with the economy making a downturn, keeping them would have put me in the poorhouse. I hated it. I loved those people and I was able to place three of the four, but I made that move out of self preservation. Now I am doing fine and so are they. If you took the risk to start the company, it is your right to do what you need to do. That’s the way it works.
Thulsa Doom
August 31st, 2011
10:55 am
Bosch,
It would appear that that that philosopher who has been dead 150 years saw something 200 years earlier that you can’t see with your very own eyes today- that we are bankrupt and that a lot of it has to do with so many people drawing from the public trough in one way or another and with nearly half of us not paying federal taxes other than fica. Facts are facts Bosch and what he stated is coming true. All you got to do is open your eyes and look at the facts. Look at the debt, the mega trillions in future unfunded obligations we owe to SS and Medicare, it aint hard to see. Just open your eyes.
Zap Rowsdower
August 31st, 2011
10:56 am
“You cannot possibly be that simple minded to ask that nonsense!”
Ah yes, the rat voter one liners without an answer.
“If need be, I’ll help you out. But, for now ZAP you’re on your own…….”
That’s ok, cupcake, you obviously didn’t read the statement.
Brosephus
August 31st, 2011
10:56 am
When all else fails, deflect and divert. It’s the new age Scorched Earth policy for political debate. Anytime I see it in action full tilt, two thoughts come to mind…
Thought #1…
Thought #2…
Bosch
August 31st, 2011
10:57 am
Doom,
My eyes are open fine, but what you don’t seem to grasp is that on the opposite end of that “it’s all the poor people slopping off the guvmint trough” are the other end of the economic scale that is doing the same thing — and they are doing more damage to our economy because the cost is greater — they eat more of the slop.
Zap Rowsdower
August 31st, 2011
10:57 am
“considering the 401Ks (and other retirement / investment plans) that are invested in these companies, how can you NOT agree???”
Um, because it’s private dollars, UK.
Common Sense
August 31st, 2011
10:57 am
“IT IS his fault when he heads up the BOARD and the BOARD determines his salary!
IT IS his fault when he sacrifices %%% of his workforce to hit his numbers and get his bonus
IT IS his fault when he makes the company UNSUCCESSFUL due to bad decisions, then gets a multi-BILLION $$$ payoff”
There is only one part of the above that would be your business. The bailout. So focus your efforts on eliminating ALL bailouts in the future.
Of course your compassion will kick in and say “what about the workers”?
So you will reluctantly support the bailouts….
Zap Rowsdower
August 31st, 2011
10:58 am
“And while your at it, would you mind explaining to us the poutrage the right seems to have with GE and Imelt?”
This might have something to do with it, cupcake.
General Electric Paid No Federal Taxes in 2010
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/general-electric-paid-federal-taxes-2010/story?id=13224558
Bosch
August 31st, 2011
10:58 am
“are the other end of the economic scale that is doing the same thing — and they are doing more damage to our economy because the cost is greater — they eat more of the slop.”
And for some reason Doom, it appears after having this pointed out to you numerous times today, you don’t give a damn about this — it’s just much easier to blame it on the poor — those all mighty poor folks.
stands for decibels
August 31st, 2011
10:59 am
“The difference betwee Blacks and other minorities”
The difference being other minorities actually work for a living.
Really, Zap?
You want another hack at that, perhaps?
Zap Rowsdower
August 31st, 2011
11:00 am
“Really, Zap?”
Da
“You want another hack at that, perhaps?”
Nyet
Good Little Liberal
August 31st, 2011
11:00 am
Aquagirl
I don’t ship it. The company that makes it ships it.
I believe that they use Fed Ex, not the US Postal Sytem.
You are trying really hard to cut down another persons small success. Again, maybe succeeding on your own would hold down that bitterness a little. It’s a great feeling looking at that bank account and seeing that it has grown with my really doing anything.
Thulsa Doom
August 31st, 2011
11:00 am
Bosch,
I never denied that Republicans have their own voting bloc- they are mostly called taxpayers. When I say have “skin in the game” I’m referring to the fact that everyone should have to pay taxes. When 47% of us don’t then its a recipe for disaster. Somehow or another both you and USinUK seem to have great difficulty with such an elementary concept.
Bosch
August 31st, 2011
11:00 am
“General Electric Paid No Federal Taxes in 2010″
So Zap, why not show the same poutrage for all the other corporations that didn’t?
the red herring
August 31st, 2011
11:00 am
JB–we have finally hit upon a subject that i can agree with you on—it’s a first!! The CEOs, boards, etc of publicly held corporations are vastly overpaid not just in salary but in perks, bonuses, etc. The shareholders of these companies get screwed. Some examples come to mind such as enron, cisco, and many of the financial companies. It is a buddy-buddy system where these people vote themselves tremendous salaries and all the goodies they can think up. The shareholders are the ones that lose in this. Oddly it is similar to the school and college adminstrations where they have obtained salaries far exceeding the governors of the states they work in. In this case it is the taxpayers that equate to shareholders and they are getting getting the shaft as well. One merely has to read past articles in the AJC concerning superintendents and their assistant’s salaries to know why education is a black hole for taxpayer money–and why some of it should be returned to the taxpayer and some should be diverted from the fat cats and spent on the classroom teachers.
In neither case (publicly held companies nor education) is the status quo acceptable.
Common Sense
August 31st, 2011
11:01 am
“They will not stop fighting for the wealthy until the wealthy have all the money.”
More false logic to believe that the majority in this nation are working to make the minority wealthier.
To even believe that 45% of the population is working to make the 1% wealthier is humorous. But believe it if you must.
Zap Rowsdower
August 31st, 2011
11:01 am
“it’s just much easier to blame it on the poor”
Maybe Bosch can move all the poor people into his house.
jt
August 31st, 2011
11:01 am
Sheriff of Nottingham: Wait a minute. Robin Hood steals money from my pocket, forcing me to hurt the public, and they love him for it?
[Scribe nods]
Sheriff of Nottingham: That’s it then. Cancel the kitchen scraps for lepers and orphans, no more merciful beheadings, and call off Christmas.
Common Sense
August 31st, 2011
11:02 am
“those all mighty poor folks”
The United States has the richest poor folks in the world.
Zap Rowsdower
August 31st, 2011
11:02 am
“So Zap, why not show the same poutrage for all the other corporations that didn’t?”
Because those “other companies” CEOs don’t sit at the head of Obama’s economic advisory board.
Try again, cupcake. Maybe one day you’ll discover something.
USinUK
August 31st, 2011
11:02 am
kayaker – ALL CEOs should be put in jail if they cook the books. do you honestly think that we think they shouldn’t?
Zap – the point being, it’s just as much YOUR money as tax dollars
GLL – have had my own company and had to close it to move, as well – I totally understand what you’re saying. HOWEVER, that’s not what I’m talking about. I’m talking about the companies that ARE showing profits, but that cut 10% of the workforce, anyway, so that the CEO can exceed targets and get his bonus.
short-term thinking, GLL – it’s what got us into this mess in the first place.
out of the blue
August 31st, 2011
11:03 am
Bosch
August 31st, 2011
10:53 am
“And while your at it, would you mind explaining to us the poutrage the right seems to have with GE and Imelt?”
I believe I may have an answer for you Immelt a REPUBLICAN was selected by President Obama as
Chairperson of the Council on Jobs and Competitiveness.
And, somehow, Zap’s tiny brain digested this as a conspiracy….other than that, don’t have a clue!
Thulsa Doom
August 31st, 2011
11:03 am
Bosch,
Are we talking about the same GE headed by Obama pal Geoffrey Immelt? You know, the one that contributes heavily to Obama and who headed his council on jobs and who has outsourced about 30,000 jobs overseas in the past decade. Next you’re going to rail about Wall St. and forget that Obama’s top campaign contributor was Goldman Sachs. You guys are just hilarious.
Zap Rowsdower
August 31st, 2011
11:03 am
“The United States has the richest poor folks in the world.”
Yep, and most of them have smart phones, flat screens and drive nice cars. Just the other day I saw a homeless woman wearing a t-shirt that had a big fat Gucci logo on it.
Bosch
August 31st, 2011
11:03 am
Doom,
Do you actually have an argument that isn’t based upon falsehoods?
“they are mostly called taxpayers.”
Are you honestly going to base your entire argument on the fact that of those 47% that don’t pay taxes…that there ain’t a Republican amongst them?
“When 47% of us don’t then its a recipe for disaster. Somehow or another both you and USinUK seem to have great difficulty with such an elementary concept”
No, Doom, I do understand that is troubling, but I’m smart enough to understand WHY IT IS that those 47% do not pay taxes — it’s because they don’t make enough money to do it.
It’s about the wages stupid! (and I’m not calling you stupid, I was using that old James Carville quip to get my point across.)
Brosephus
August 31st, 2011
11:03 am
dB
Wasted bandwidth with your 10:59 post.
Joe Mama
August 31st, 2011
11:03 am
Zap — “General Electric Paid No Federal Taxes in 2010″
Clearly GE has ‘no skin in the game.’
stands for decibels
August 31st, 2011
11:04 am
“Really, Zap?”
Da
“You want another hack at that, perhaps?”
Nyet
So you stand by your statement that black folks don’t work for a living. Got it. Thanks for the clarification.
Zap Rowsdower
August 31st, 2011
11:04 am
“Zap’s tiny brain digested this as a conspiracy”
tick…tick…tick…
Whenever rat voters can’t argue/debate, they throw out childish insults.
Grow up.
USinUK
August 31st, 2011
11:04 am
“Just the other day I saw a homeless woman wearing a t-shirt that had a big fat Gucci logo on it.”
ohsweetjeebus.
the stoopid.
if we could bottle it, we could tell OPEC to kiss our patooties.
Thanks to the Lottery Players in Georgia
August 31st, 2011
11:04 am
Yay! The Zell Miller portion of the HOPE got credited to my youngin’s account. That should bring a smile.
Zap Rowsdower
August 31st, 2011
11:05 am
“So you stand by your statement that black folks don’t work for a living.”
You have no clue what DA and NYET mean do you?
Common Sense
August 31st, 2011
11:05 am
“The shareholders are the ones that lose in this.”
The shareholders are shareholders because they believe it is to their advantage to be invested in these companies where the CEOs earn these salaries.
If they didn’t, they would not be shareholders. No one is forced to own shares of these companies.
Your logic is flawed.
Zap Rowsdower
August 31st, 2011
11:06 am
“the stoopid.”
And yet again, another childish insult thrown out by someone on the left.
Bosch
August 31st, 2011
11:06 am
f”Are we talking about the same GE headed by Obama pal Geoffrey Immelt?”
Yes, Doom, that’s the one, so again, how’s he so different than the others?
Is it just his Obama connection?
“Next you’re going to rail about Wall St. and forget that Obama’s top campaign contributor was Goldman Sachs.”
Um, you might wanna rail in those mind reading skills…your aren’t up to par.
And Doom, are you really going to play such a one-sided game? It seems to be all you have.
1811/0311
August 31st, 2011
11:06 am
stands for decibels :
Sorry pal. You ain’t entiltled to nothing ……….. especially from me !